How to begin to meditate
When the conversation of meditation comes up in my medium readings and a family member in Spirit encourages their loved one to gain a greater stillness of mind through meditation, I hear the same remarks continually...
“I don’t know how to meditate"
"I have tried to meditate, but my mind is so active and I find it difficult. I get all these thoughts entering my head and I find myself wanting to scratch and move.”
Yes, all these things will happen and probably there are some other distractions to consider as well, like outside noise distractions, phones ringing, unexpected guests arriving at your home, forcing you to stop meditating.
There are a number of reasons and excuses meditation gets a bad wrap. Many people give meditation the flick too easily. However, perseverance and discipline in continuing the practice of meditation will bring you untold spiritual benefits and greater peace of mind.
Let’s look at a typical day within a family setting:
Morning Scene:
Your child has lost their school bag and you are running late in preparing their breakfast. Hubby has grabbed a piece of toast and rushed out the door as he slept in late and now needs to contend with the morning traffic. You need to drop the kids off at school and rush to a doctor’s appointment.
You get the picture.
This is only the start of the day; now add all of the other stresses you need to cope with during the day. Is this doing your head in? It certainly will be playing out on your physical, mental and spiritual body.
When you are under constant stress, it's hard to concentrate, your blood pressure can rise and being constantly switched ON can open the door to other ailments, the least of which may be an aching back or a spiteful migraine causing havoc to your day.
Now let’s add the stresses outside of your control like the economic meltdown and trying to manage the family finances or worrying about how secure your job position is because of world issues. There are so many mental stresses to contend with, it’s no wonder we become ill.
Now let’s look at the overall benefits of meditation:
- Thought Control - By slowing down or ceasing constant thought you can begin to focus more inwardly and relax
- Concentration – Your overall concentration will improve due to being able to release the stress triggers throughout the day
- Breathing – When your body is feeling stressed you will change your breathing pattern. Sometimes, you may hold your breath and cause the muscular and nervous system to overcompensate. This can lead to bad neck aches and pain or other back problems. By entering a full breath pattern you will find your body relaxes and these ailments will not be so prevalent.
- Spiritual Benefits – Finding sanctuary through slowing conscious thought can allow you to connect to your Higher Self, Soul, Universal Consciousness, and God Essence (whatever spiritual term you feel comfortable with).
Vine’s method of meditation
As a young child I had some experiences which would be considered unusual by the mainstream of society. I found I was able to lift in and out of my body at will and this gave me a greater appreciation of consciousness and its mysteries.
I tapped into a spiritual consciousness, which helped me understand the benefits of being in the essence of stillness.
Stillness is where there are no conscious thoughts and you become one with all that is and all that will be.
Stillness allows you great peace, and gives you the opportunity to cultivate a magical inner quiet world.
Stillness meditation does not require you to follow a narrator’s visualization scene or to direct your awareness to visualized parks, oceans or waterfalls. You are just in the now!
I began to use this disciplined meditation practice daily and found the more I practiced a variety of meditation techniques the easier it was to find stillness.
Quietening the Minds Chatter
- First meditation technique – Nature’s Way. If you have found meditation difficult then there are two methods I’m going to suggest to begin to slow the constant mind chatter. The first is Nature’s Way.
If you're sitting on the sand at the beach, make sure it's a quiet spot. Now look at the ocean as the waves follow their regular rhythm. Continue to take longer breaths and to draw your awareness only to the movement of your breath and to the quiet setting.
Now imagine yourself as being part of the waves and the ocean and stay in this moment.
You will find that time will stand still as you become one with your setting.
If you're in your home garden, look to an area within your garden that will allow you to absorb its consciousness.
You can watch the insect world flutter around you and also begin to take long deep breaths and to draw your awareness to the insects' harmonious world.
Now imagine yourself as being part of the insect world and stay in this moment.
Whatever natural setting you have chosen, follow the breath technique and try to meld yourself into that special moment. The best thing about this is you are creating your own special moment.
- Second meditation technique – Light a White Candle
If you’re sharing your living space, make sure you tell your family members or house mates you do not want to be disturbed.
Caution: Do not do the lit candle meditation technique when you have been drinking or taken any drugs, and remove any flammable objects or material away from the lit candle.
I would suggest you do this meditation exercise when you are not tired and create a time to do this disciplined meditation exercise daily.
The great news is a 10 – 15 minute time slot is all this meditation exercise requires.
Light a white candle and place it at shoulder height to avoid straining your neck.
Sit comfortably, back straight and feet firmly on the floor beneath you, or cross your legs in front of you in the traditional meditation pose.
If you do this style of meditation, make sure your back can cope and check whether you require further padding, like a futon (you will know instinctively which way to meditate and what suits you best).
Now draw your awareness to the lit candle and begin to take deep breaths and to place your full concentration on the lit candle.
Draw your awareness to the movement of your breath and follow your breath as it moves through your physical body.
Become one with your breath and allow your mind to become still.
Watch the flame as it flickers, try to become one with the flame and allow your inner self to be still.
When you feel the energy of stillness being the main part of you, blow out the candle and continue with your day normally.
By doing these mediation exercises you are beginning to train your mind and enter a disciplined form of meditation. You will eventually find your trained mind will not require any method to create stillness because you will have created the spiritual intent and will immediately draw the stillness towards you.
Please let me know how you find these meditation exercises and remember there is a discipline required to gain the energy of stillness in your life.
Love and Light
Vine
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